Truest Truths
by traciepwns
Summary: So what happens when Angela finally hears about what happened under the mistletoe?Post Ep  Santa in the Slush.
1. Caroline

---  
The truth is not found in science, or on some unseen plane, but by looking into your own heart.  
For the truest truths are what hold us together, or keep us painfully, desperately apart.  
---

As Caroline left Brennan's office, she still couldn't believe that the doctor had actually followed through with her crazy stipulations.

Knowing Seeley Booth as long as she had, Caroline figured out quite a while ago that he had taken a particular liking to one, Dr. Temperance Brennan, and vice versa. But, if either of them were called on it, they'd deny it vehemently and go into some rigmarole about how they were "just partners". "Just partners" didn't head down to Louisiana at the drop of a hat to help clear the name of their partner, who was accused of being some sort of a Voodoo murderer, or fly down the best prosecutor in DC to defend her. "Just partners" don't go smashing up cars of the aforementioned prosecutor to chase after their partner's criminal relatives, conveniently getting there just a little too late to actually apprehend them. And last, but definitely not least, "just partners" don't call in favors from archbishops and psychiatrists to get aforementioned family members reduced jail time. If she had a dollar for every time she heard the phrase "just partners" from either of them, she'd have bought her own damn boat and sailed off to somewhere tropical by now…

So when Dr. Brennan had approached her about writing a recommendation letter, so that her father could have a Yuletide gathering of the Brennan crime family, she figured she'd have a little fun. After all, she still did owe Booth for the car incident. Brennan might have gotten under her skin from time to time, but more often than not she liked her, so she told the good Doctor that she would help her out, under one condition - she'd have to kiss Seeley Booth, on the lips, for at least five seconds. Times were few and far between that anyone could make that woman squirm or throw her off guard, so she planned on taking full advantage of this situation. The odds of a follow-through were zero to none, or at least so she thought.

When Caroline showed up at the Jeffersonian that afternoon, she was prepared to tell Dr. Brennan that letter was written and that all the arrangements had been made, since all along she had never expected Dr. Brennan to actually go along with her crazy scheme…

But that was before.

As soon as Caroline entered the office, she noticed a very nervous looking FBI Agent and a very flustered scientist standing near each other under some mistletoe, causing her puckish side to take over once again. She was curious to see how far she could push them and which of them would stop the ruse before they actually had to kiss. When neither of them conceded and Dr. Brennan grabbed on to Agent Booth's lapels, pulling him towards her, she stared at them, mouth agape and speechless. Long after the five steamboats had sailed, when they were still caught up in the moment, Caroline started to feel a bit like a voyeur. What was supposed to be an awkward, short peck on the lips—mostly as a way to get back at Booth—had turned into quite a bit more. Which is why, as soon as Brennan had gotten the validation from her she needed—did the doctor really even have to question if that was enough steamboats—she turned and walked out of the office as quick as she could, leaving the two to awkwardly dance around each other.

"Like kissing her brother? Who does she think she is, Angelina Jolie?" Caroline half muttered to herself, while walking through the halls of the Jeffersonian, not realizing that she wasn't alone.

"Oh please, no. Tell me that she wasn't caught kissing her brother again?" Angela asked as she fell in step alongside Caroline. "I mean the first time was bad enough, even though I could kinda see why, her being with Billy Bob and all, but now? If Brad were eating cookies in my bed, I most definitely wouldn't toss him out." She paused, then quickly added, "Hypothetically speaking, of course."

"Angelina?" Caroline asked confused. "No. No, Dr. Brennan."

"Wait, what? Brennan was swapping spit with Russ?" Angela immediately walked in front of her and placed the back of her own hand against Caroline's forehead, stopping the attorney mid-stride. "Now I know that Brennan may be very experimental when it comes to certain things, but I'm pretty sure she'd draw the line at making out with her brother..." Looking around, Angela spotted a place to sit and motioned for Caroline to follow her. "Are you feeling okay? Maybe you should sit down for a few minutes."

"Thanks, cher." She said, sitting down next to Angela.

"Now, explain to me again what you saw happen with Russ?" She questioned, quirking her eyebrow.

"Booth," she stated.

"Booth and Russ?!" Angela appeared to be even more confused now than she had been a few seconds ago. "Caroline, are you sure you didn't bump your head or anything? I mean, first, you think that Brennan is pulling a Jolie and now you want me to believe that Booth has gone all 'Brokeback Mountain.' Honestly, I could never really see Booth swinging that way but-" She paused, lost in through for a second. "But, on the other hand, Russ is in jail and he is quite the hottie, so ya never know. I have heard that prison changes a man, if you know what I mean." She winked. "That would account for that look on your face though since I know that I'd be in shock if I saw Booth going at it with some guy too..." Angela trailed off, dreamily. "Actually, that would be kinda hot." She smirked.

"What are you ramblin' on about?" Caroline asked, finally starting to come out of her haze. "Sorry to ruin your fantasies there, cherie, but I'm pretty certain that there are no goings-on between Booth and Russ or Dr. Brennan."

Did Booth have to deal with this all the time, Caroline wondered. No wonder he was going out of his mind and helping to set criminals free.

"I was referring to the lip lock between Booth and that scientist partner of his. Goin' at it like two teenagers-" Before Caroline even got to finish her sentence, Angela was on her feet, hands on her hips and her mouth gaping.

"Booth and Bren?! They did what? When?"

"Kissed. About five minutes ago. I just left Dr. Brennan's office. I guess she really does love her father if she was willing to-" As Caroline began to explain, instead of listening, Angela headed out of her office and straight to Brennan's.

Her friend had quite a bit of explaining to do.

---

I'm planning on adding on at least one more chapter - after all we need to find out what Angela's reaction is going to be, don't we - but there is a possibility that I'll add an additional chapter or two as well. We'll see how things go, I guess.

Thanks for reading. I'm venturing into territory I'm not used to - writing for Angela and Caroline - so any feedback is greatly appreciated. :)


	2. Angela

Angela Montenegro wasn't stupid.

She knew Brennan well enough to know that if she actually had kissed Booth, she'd play it down, no matter how much it truly affected her. Her initial instinct would be to congratulate Brennan on finally catching up and taking that giant leap forward toward what some people already knew was inevitable, but she also knew that that was quickest way to make her friend clam up and possibly sink even further into denial than she had already been.

She casually approached the office door, finding Brennan leaning back in her chair, her eyes closed with an unreadable expression on her face.

Oh, this is not good, she thought to herself as she walked further into the office and plopped down on the couch. "Hey, Sweetie," Angela said. When she got no response from her, she got up and walked over to Brennan's desk to check if she was sleeping. "Bren?"

"Oh, hey, Ange," Brennan replied as she straightened herself up. "I was just looking over some files that Zack gave me and needed a quick breather."

"I bet you did," she said, mostly to herself, as she noticed the mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. She walked over to where Booth and Brennan had earlier been standing. "Mistletoe?"

At the mention of the word, Brennan tensed up, which did not go unnoticed by Angela. "It seemed...festive," Brennan stated, as she turned back to her computer, seemingly satisfied with her response.

"Bren, sweetie, you don't do festive," Angela retorted. Realizing that she wasn't making any progress she probed further. "So, where's Booth? My sexy agent radar was on high alert earlier, so I figured he'd still be here, trying his very best to annoy you into going Christmas shopping with him or something."

"Why would Booth ask me to go shopping with him, Ange?" The anthropologist questioned her, thoroughly confused. "He's perfectly capable of picking out presents on his own."

"Well, you're all 'yay Christmas' now, and I just figured Booth had something to do with it since you were always the Grinch to his Santa Claus. After all this time, he's had to have rubbed off on you at least a bit, right?" She kept her eyes focused on Brennan, hoping to get some kind of reaction out of her.

"Me hanging mistletoe doesn't equate to me suddenly accepting the Santa myth. It's just mistletoe." Once again, Brennan turned back to her computer under the guise of actually working.

Angela was nearing her wits' end. She was just short of coming right out and asking if the doctor had played tonsil hockey with Booth and she need something, anything else that would get her friend to open up. Then it struck her.

"It was Booth's idea, wasn't it?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she knew she'd hit a nerve. Brennan's eyes grew wide in surprise and she jumped out of her chair. She began to pace and wring her hands.

"No. It was Caroline's. She told me that the only way that she'd write the letter so that my father could get the trailer for Christmas was if I kissed Booth. And she was feeling puckish." At that moment Brennan seemed to realize that wasn't what Angela had meant. "You weren't talking about the kiss, were you?"

Angela simply shook her head in reply as Brennan narrowed her eyes at her, apparently confused. "I kissed Booth, Ange," she said as she sat down on the couch next to her friend, preparing herself for the exuberant reaction sure to follow. When Angela remained stoic, Brennan looked at her questioningly. "Why aren't you freaking out? After all the times you've hinted towards something more between myself and Booth..."

Realizing that she had finally accomplished her goal, Angela knew that she needed to come clean to her friend. "I ran into Caroline in the hallway. It was a few seconds after she left your office..." she trailed off.

"You knew!" Brennan exclaimed, with an expression of surprise on her face.

"Yes." she confirmed. "But, I knew if I waltzed right in here and immediately called you out on it, Bren-"

"What did Caroline say?" she cut her off, hastily, appearing more curious, than angry.

"Just that she couldn't believe that you went along with her demands and that she never expected you to follow through." Brennan looked relieved. "She also said it was pretty hot." She stated, smiling slyly.

"It was just a kiss, Ange. Nothing more," Brennan protested while getting off the couch. "It was merely an expression of mutual respect between co-workers. It was like kissing-"

"Your brother." Angela was now standing, facing her. "Yeah, yeah, I know," she acknowledged, patting her friend on the arm. "Except for the part where it wasn't."

Brennan shot her a look as she headed back to her desk. Angela refused to let her friend remain in denial. She had to say something to help pull her out.

"Bren," She started. "I've been trying to make you realize that there was something between you and Agent McHotPants for years. Hell, in the lab we can cut the sexual tension between the two of you with a knife." She paused to look at Brennan. The doctor's eyebrows were slightly raised as she stared at Angela.

Certain she had her friend's attention, Angela continued. "If you want to keep deluding yourself into thinking that this kiss between you and Booth meant nothing, fine. But weren't you the one who came to me, worried that you were missing out?" The look on Brennan's face was all Angela needed to see that her point was being made to the doctor. "It's time to seize that day, Sweetie. Take the bull by the horns. You're single. Booth's single. Strike now, while the iron's hot."

The conversation was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Hey, Bones. I, uh—" he paused for a second as he entered the room, glancing over at the mistletoe, then looking back towards Brennan, though obviously trying to avoid complete eye contact. Angela noticed Brennan mirrored his actions. "I uh, got a call from the forensics guy right as I, uh, got to my car. Said that the goop didn't match Moussa." Finally realizing that they weren't alone, he visibly relaxed. "Oh, hey Angela."

"Hey, Booth," she said. She smiled and gave him a knowing look. Deciding this was the perfect time to depart, she placed her hand on top of Brennan's. "Remember what I said, Sweetie." she said. Before leaving, she nodded in Booth's direction. "I need to go find Hodgins."

As she left the room, she overheard Booth ask Brennan what she had been talking about, to which Brennan replied. "She was saying something about ironing..."

"Way to ride that bull, Bren," she said to herself as she approached Hodgins's work area.

"Why do you look like the cat who just ate the canary?" He asked her as he noticed her Cheshire grin.

"Oh, nothing. Just a little girl talk."

Angela looked up and noticed Booth and Brennan heading out, the two keeping quite a bit of distance between them. An idea hit her. She placed her arms around Hodgins waist and whispered in his ear. "So, I heard that Brennan has mistletoe in her office and seeing as the two of them just left…"

"You don't have to ask me twice, babe." he said as he pulled her by the hand toward the office.

On the way, she couldn't help wondering if the reason Brennan hadn't yet taken down the plant was because she subconsciously wanted to have a do-over with Booth, out from under the watchful eye of the puckish prosecutor. It was a long shot, but hey, a girl could hope, couldn't she?

After all, 'tis the season.  
---  
Hope you enjoyed this and thank you for reading and thank you to all those who reviewed the previous chapter and put this story on alert. I tried to respond to each one of you individually, but If missed you, it wasn't anything personal. I'm thinking about possibly continuing this for another chapter or two, but I'm not quite sure. Are you guys happy with it how it is or would you like to read more? Maybe you can convince my muse to keep going :)

Hope you all have a great holiday season!


End file.
